Shattered Hawk
by FallenWing21
Summary: After a once in a lifetime chance match with the one and only Hawk, Senji couldn't have found a more suitable companion to become a friend with in this hellhole of a prison. Just a little multi-chapter thing about an original character and the badass Senji. Maybe a little romance, and a bit of revenge against someone. Hope you enjoy! Senji/CrowXOC
1. Chapter 1

**Hi guys, so anyone who decides to click on this story, welcome! I recently just finished Deadman Wonderland and absolutely loved Senji/Crow**

**Therefore, I thought I would just spill out the small story that was in my brain while I was watching. It won't be a long story. Just a small one.**

**So after this one, I'll be heading back to my other ones! Let's have a fun short ride everyone!**

**Reminder: This is just from the anime (I didn't read the manga, so whatever happens, it'll be through the anime.) And for the incident with Crow's right eye, I switched it up a bit.**

**Disclaimer: I don't know Deadman Wonderland!**

* * *

**Chapter 1-Introducing...**

_"WHOA and what is this everyone?! Crow is actually fighting on par with our one and only Hawk!? This is incredible!" _The voice that came out of the penguin yelled in excitement, his energy matching the audience's in the arena. The two figures that stood down at the bottom of the massive bird cage were moving at lightning speed, hitting each other with their weapons with all their might.

It was a spectacle to see.

_"The fearsome Crow is not giving in to the Hawk's merciless attacks! Every other Deadmen, take note of this for you may be facing the Hawk next! Don't give up when in the face of Death itself, for if you do, you'll be ripped to shreds! Ahahaha!" _

"I'm astounded, Crow." The Hawk commented as they jumped apart from each other, both grinning. The Hawk in fact was a young woman with a killer streak of winning Carnival Corpse battles. Not wearing the traditional uniform akin to the normal inmates, she had a loose black shirt that was ripped and designed at the back. Red shorts that hiked up her legs and accentuated her beauty matched with it. Not to mention the insane look in her emerald eyes.

"You've been aiming dead center this entire match!" Crow replied back as he drew back his scythe arms and pressed his fist to the palm of his hand.

"I'm surprised that you've still got tricks up your sleeve!" She exclaimed as she held the blood created sword in her hand, splitting it into two as they became dual knives. The shining look in her eyes was filled with curiosity as it examined her opponent, watching his every move. "Why don't we see who loses an eye or a leg this match?!"

As she launched herself forward at lightning speed, Senji pulled his arm down to reveal a long blade. The screech that filled the room emitted from that blade as an invisible air shifted through the crowd and headed straight for the Hawk.

"Invisible Black," Crow stated with a smirk as he witnessed the cuts appear on her body...however not all the way through.

"Brilliant work..." she murmured as she held her knives close to her, a smirk that matched Senji's on her lips.

_It didn't go all the way?! _Senji thought as he widened his eyes in shock. That had never happened before.

"Lucky for me, I was able to stop that supersonic attack from slicing me into pieces." Hawk quietly said as she lowered the knives, the objects becoming liquid blood as it returned to her body.

"H-how did it-"

"Not work? There are still some tricks you haven't seen from me, Mr. Crow." The woman grinned as she extended her arms backwards, the strange writhing blood bursting from her wounds. As they molded together, it soon became a six set arrangement of blades that floated in the air from the blood on her back.

"Blood Redemption."

Senji couldn't believe what he was seeing. After all this time, she still had enough blood to come up with something like that?! Oh man was he screwed now. Who knows what he's going to lose now in the punishment game! Still, he formed his red scythe on his arms and fell into a stance, ready to defend himself.

"I do appreciate your effort of fighting me today. May we meet again in another battle..." Then the woman mouthed something to him as she burst off of the ground and sent the blades down towards him.

There was a flurry of red and black as Senji landed on his back with his arms outstretched, the red blades deep in his skin. The Hawk landed next to him with a small satisfied smirk as she met his challenging gaze. "See you around," she stated as she pulled back her weapons and stretched a fist out to him.

"You..." Senji trailed off as a smirk appeared on his lips, raising his arm to fist bump with her. _You freaking knew my name when I hardly even know yours?_

_"What an outstanding battle folks! One of the more entertaining if I must say so myself! But like always, Hawk is the winner of the Carnival Corpse! Now we'll see the loser in the Punishment Game!" _Went the announcer's voice as it echoed throughout the arena.

The last thing Senji saw before he was taken away on a stretcher was the Hawk's back walking away from him, her shoulders down.

* * *

The small television flickered to life as the man named Senji appeared on screen, strapped to a chair by restraints. Ayane sat cross legged on her bed as she munched on a red bean bun, her eyes glued to the screen. She _did_ feel bad for the man. Yet it seemed as though he wasn't afraid of what was going to happen to him if he lost the match. She saw that in him as soon as he stepped on to the stage. She admired that.

When the dials turned to "right eye", Ayane winced. That will leave a big mark. She would have to apologize later if she ever saw him again. At the sight of the huge machine of dials, her hand instinctively went to her left leg and arm. The punishment game...it was cruel but it taught you to grow stronger by what you lost. To crush your opponents to the point where they were unrecognizable. That you must always win so that nothing is taken away from you ever again.

As the man named Senji screamed in pain, Ayane blocked it out as she heard her own screams in her ears, coming from that exact same chair. "No, Ayane. Don't go back to those times. They're over. They're over..." she whispered as she pressed her palms to her eyes.

When she woke up the next morning, Senji's pain filled screams still filled her ears. As she stumbled out of her room in her usual attire, she pulled out a Cast Card from her pocket and headed to the nearest vending machine, the hand inside her pocket playing with the wrapped bitter candy. As a bottle of water and another bean bun fell from the machine, Ayane picked it up only to find a presence behind her.

"Why hello, Hawk." Stiffening at the smooth male voice, Ayane whirled around to see the Mockingbird grinning at her.

"Toto..." she greeted with a nod, narrowing her eyes at the man.

"That was an excellent fight you had yesterday, I must say. But you still don't like revealing your name to people though, don't you?" He was suddenly behind her, an arm wrapped around her neck as he whispered in her ear.

"Get off, Mockingbird." Ayane quietly said, the grip on her water bottle growing tighter.

"Sure sure. I'm just here to get some food anyway. Crow sure was excited to see you, ya know. Too bad he had to lose an eye for it." he mockingly sympathized as he jumped up on to one of the benches.

"Though that loss must not compare to what you've lost, Ayane."

In a second she had the Mockingbird on the ground with her red sword at his throat, her emerald eyes wide. She had a vicious snarl across her face as she was _this _close to snapping. "Don't _ever _speak of that again." Ayane growled as Mockingbird's pale green eyes widened in pleasure, his hand grabbing hold of her left wrist.

"I know about this arm of yours," he whispered with a smirk as Ayane jumped to her feet, her sword poised towards his throat.

"_Shut it, Mockingbird." _Ayane hissed as her eyes turned into slits. "I thought we agreed to never-"

"_You _agreed. I promised nothing. I merely kept silent to appease you." Toto interrupted as he picked up her discarded bean bun and water bottle. "I do truly apologized for what happened that time, Ayane. I really am sorry." he mockingly said, placing a hand over his heart as he met her wide eyed gaze with a sadistic smirk.

"You lie, bastard!"

"I'm just glad that you came out of it alive. It must have hurt like hell to have that happen to both your arm _and _your leg. Especially without anesthesia." The Mockingbird tilted his head to the side as the Hawk seethed, gritting her teeth together in frustration. Her grip on her red sword was so tight that her knuckles turned white.

"Here," Toto threw the snack and bottle over to her, allowing her to catch it with one hand.

"I'll kill you when we're on that arena, Mockingbird. You'll regret rigging that match." Ayane declared quietly as she watched the man turn and walk away with a smirk.

"Just make sure _you're _ready to die when you do." he said before he waved a hand behind him as he disappeared into the shadows.

When she made sure he was completely gone, Ayane ripped over the wrapping of her bun and took an angry bite out of it as she made her way down another hall. _Damn him! The monster. _

The woman glanced down at her left hand and leg, trying not to think of how she couldn't feel any warmth from the both of them. At least she was offered a new pair.

She ruffled her head of short brown hair and took a swig of water as she passed a couple guards. When they made an attempt to wolf whistle at her, she chucked her water bottle at them, which made them charge angrily towards her. _Good, a fine way to vent my rage. _After she had plowed them into the ground, she left her trash with them and continued walking through the hall, going to who knows where.

This is how it was with her. There was never a destination to go to. After all, she was stuck in this place. Popping in one bitter candy, she ignored the taste and found herself wandering through the halls alone. After a while, she heard the sounds of chains clinking together and was curious to see what it was.

Peering into the room, she raised a brow when she found someone she wasn't expecting. It was that Senji guy. Training with a punching bag. Shirtless. Hm, definitely not a sight you'd see everyday. And his shirtless-ness did leave some things to the imagination.

"Yo," she called out as she leaned against the wall, her arms crossed over her chest. Senji suddenly stopped punching the bag and turned his head to meet her gaze as a smirk appeared on his lips.

"Well would you look at that, the Hawk." he greeted in return as he grabbed a towel from a rack. Ayane non-discreetly noticed the eye patch the man wore over his right eye and frowned slightly, keeping to her spot on the wall.

"What brings you here, huh?" Senji started as he hung the towel from his shoulder.

"Sorry bout your eye. Can't help it though," Ayane nonchalantly said as she wandered over to one of the benches.

"You get used to it. Now answer my question." The Crow said as he took a swig of water. The Hawk gingerly sat in the middle of the bench, shrugging her shoulders.

"Heard a sound and then found out it was you. That's all really."

"Hah, really?...Hey, during the match-"

"I looked you up."

Senji blinked for a moment, trying to process this when Ayane suddenly noticed his cheeks turn pink. _The hell? Was he blushing? This man?!_

"I-I see," he suddenly stuttered out, rubbing the back of his head.

"Don't tell me you're getting flustered over a little comment!" Ayane exclaimed as she sat up straighter, her eyes widening in surprise. The Crow had _this _side to him too?!

"I'm not! There's no way that-"

Before he could say anything else, the doors to the training room opened again to reveal Tamaki waltzing in. Ayane instantly shot up to her feet and glared at the approaching man, Senji also giving him bad vibes. No one liked the man.

"Why hello there my little birdies! I've been looking for you! How's that eye, Crow?" He greeted as he met both of their hostile gazes.

"What do you want?" Senji growled out as he crossed his arms over his chest, not liking the man's presence in the room.

"Nothing really! I've been looking for Hawk this entire time and here she is!" Tamaki said as his head turned to the woman's. Ayane immediately clenched her jaw and could only think of another Carnival Corpse match. Maybe even worse.

"What is it this time?" she quietly said as she felt the Crow's eye on her.

"Another match of course!"

"I thought you only saved me for the 'best', Tamaki." Ayane sarcastically remarked as she rolled her eyes at the man. Tamaki only remained silent as he turned around and headed towards the door. Ayane, having nothing else to do but comply, turned to Senji and gave him a nod.

Extending a fist to him, the Crow glanced at it for a moment before smirking, his fist reaching out to bump it.

"Another time then," the Hawk said as she followed the leader of Deadman Wonderland out of the room.

When she left, Senji thought for a moment. He hadn't expected to see her so soon again. He thought it would at least take a month or two till he caught her eye again, but apparently not. It surprised him how an easy conversationalist she could be when she was deemed one of the most powerful possessors of the Branch of Sin.

And from each powerful Branch of Sin user he's met, he found them all insane. For some reason, this woman wasn't. Or at least, he didn't think so at the moment.

* * *

Senji didn't make many friends in this hellhole. He didn't really want to either, unless he had respect for them, which he didn't have for some of these people. Take Tamaki for example. But upon finally meeting the Hawk in a Carnival Corpse, he found that maybe she could be a candidate. The way she ended the match, with a fist bump, seemed to symbolize something to her.

Maybe he would take that into his own personal inventory.

As he sat in the cafeteria, he started to begin to eat his dinner when all of the televisions in the room suddenly lit up. All the inmates stopped their actions as the announcer's voice to Carnival Corpse came on.

_"Attention everyone watching! Tonight's match is going to be a good one! This time, it's our lovely Hawk once again versus the upcoming Owl! Keep your eyes glued to this screen as they cut each other up into ribbons! Be careful to keep your food down! Ahahaha!" _

"No way...the Hawk, again?!"

"I thought she only came out in special occasions, like when she fought the Crow for the first time yesterday!"

"How can they force the same person out again? What if they don't have all their blood back yet?"

"Aw, screw them! They're freaks! Let them have their death match."

The crowd of inmates all voiced their opinions, ending up in arguments as the camera of the arena suddenly zoomed into the two contestants. Senji took in the information the inmates were spewing out and silently wondered who would come out victorious in this battle. The Owl was supposed to be extremely strong, but this is the Hawk everyone's talking about. There's no way the Hawk would lose.

_"And in cage number one, steps out our challenger, the Owl! Give him a warm welcome, won't you everyone?" _The crowd cheered loudly as their voices rose into a clamor, screaming who would win. A man with curly hair stepped out from the cage with a scar across his neck and the same heavy gray collar everyone else had.

_"Welcome, welcome! And now, in cage number two...it's our one and only...HAWK!" _The audience roared with excitement as the door to the little bird cage opened. Senji watched closely as the short brown haired woman slowly stepped out of the cage.

As the camera zoomed up close to both opponent's faces, everyone watching couldn't help but notice that something was off with the Hawk. There was an unfocused look in her eyes for a moment as it looked like she was taking in short, panted breaths.

_"Oh oh? What's this? Is something wrong with our Hawk? It looks like she's not feeling too well...no matter! The show must go on!" _

"You all..." The Hawk's hand grabbed the side of her head as a shadow passed over her eyes. "...piss me off..._so much._ To inject me right before the match..."

_"And here we go! Opponents fight in 3,"_

The Owl and Hawk both drew blood from their skin, the floating blood in taking for into their weapons.

_"2!" _

They both took hold of their weapons, both wide eyed looks in their eyes.

_"1...Go!"_

They launched at each other, a deadly look on both of their faces.

From the looks of it, Senji might have to second guess about his decision. Maybe not. But, from the outcome of this match, he'll have to see.

* * *

**Well. I tried. This was on a whim kind of thing. I hope you liked it though! Leave a review if you liked it or not! I might still type up another chapter because I wanna finish this up but ya know, reviews can work too! XD Anyway, hope you all have a wonderful day!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Alright guys! Round 2 here we go! Hope those who read the 1st chapter enjoyed! Just like I said before, I'm just giving this a try. XD Do lemme know what you think of the small story in a review! They're always welcome.**

* * *

**Chapter 2-How It Is...**

**Minutes before the fight...**

Before Ayane stepped on to the lift to the arena, something suddenly shoved her into the wall. Caught off guard, she blinked at the soldier that pointed a gun to her neck. _The heck? Right before my match too? _

"What do you want?" she growled out, becoming annoyed. She wasn't in the mood for disruptions right before fighting.

"Oh, we're just going to add a little something to the match..." At the sound of that sneaky voice, Hawk narrowed her eyes as she saw Tamaki approach from the shadows, a white syringe in hand.

"You...get that away from-!" her words were cut off when she suddenly felt the needle bite into her arm, the contents being pushed in. "Bastard!" She hissed as Tamaki and the guard backed away from her for a moment.

Ayane could already feel the burning deep in her blood as she gripped the arm that was injected. "What did you _do?" _the Hawk roared as she grabbed the sides of her head, her vision clouding up.

"Well...we just needed to see our Hawk's ability to cope with different conditions. The system needs an update on your information, so why not do it here? Even if you lose and get your stomach torn out, it won't kill you." Tamaki smirked as he met Ayane's burning gaze. "Now, go on up there, my little bird."

Not even a second later, Ayane was shoved into the lift, left to assess her own condition. "Damn him...one day...I'll kill him for sure." She muttered under her breath, her fists clenched as she felt her lungs not receive as much oxygen. Ayane began to breathe a bit harder as she felt the sensation of someone gripping her throat.

The lift stopped inside the small bird cage, positioned across her supposed opponent, the Owl. She needed to stay on her toes.

* * *

**Now...**

The Hawk spun to the side as she avoided a blood bomb and ducked as another one swooped over her head. Watching the movements of the Owl, she noted that he stayed in the spot he began in, letting the bombs do his work. _So that's how it is huh? _Holding her two blood knives in her hands, she licked her lips as she launched herself straight for the man.

As she thought, a bomb suddenly appeared in front of her. With quick reflexes, she slammed her foot into the ground and dashed to the side just as the bomb exploded. They both had hit each other a couple times with their attacks, but slowly, as the match went on, the level of attacks were stepping up.

On the more dangerous level.

It didn't help how she could barely breathe either. It was becoming difficult to get oxygen flowing into her system, which was essential for her blood. Tamaki really thought this through didn't he? Now within this predicament, she had to limit her blood use as much as possible...which would be challenging.

_"Uh oh everyone! Looks like the Hawk is under a little bit of pressure! Is the Owl going to win this round?" _The penguin announcer went ahead and said. The crowd was loud and excited, filling both of the fighters' ears.

Ayane blinked a couple of times as her vision clouded again when she spotted a swarm of blood bombs shoot towards her. Holding her knives close to her, she shot through the middle of the swarm, slicing through each of them as she got closer to the Owl.

"Don't think this can beat me, Owl." Ayane growled as she brought her knives together to mold into her sword. Slashing sideways, when she heard his cry of pain, she smirked as she came behind him and darted forward.

As the Owl evaded the attack, the Hawk instantly went into pursuit, a foot lashing out to catch him in the side. "Ugh...you're talented, I must say." the Owl muttered as one of his hands touched the huge gash in his shoulder.

Ayane smirked as they met each other's gazes for a moment. Breathing hard, she mulled over her options, seeing that she couldn't use Blood Redemption or her sword for too long. She would probably faint from blood lose if she continued on that path. Dodging most of the Owl's attacks, Ayane summoned her dual knives and tried to control her breathing, hoping that what she was planning would work.

As she focused her blood on to the two knives, she barely escaped the blast of one blood bomb, a spray of blood hitting her cheek.

"Hah, looks like you're getting tired..." the Owl commented as he appeared to be out of breath as well. Ayane's eyes grew wide as a ferocious grin appeared on her lips.

She threw aside the fact that she couldn't breathe.

She ignored her cloudy vision.

A hunger deep within her was growing...and now all she wanted to see...was his blood splatter on to the floor.

"Don't be deceived, Owl._" _She growled as she disappeared in the air, not visible to human eyes for a second.

_"Whoa whoa! It's a special attack coming from the Hawk! Is this something new? No...wait...wait! It's her-!"_

"Bloody Talons," Ayane stated with an insane grin as she slammed both of her huge dagger like weapons into the man's back. The Owl's strangled cry of pain filled her ears as he landed face down, Ayane standing over him. "You're too early to win against me," she hissed above him as she pulled back her knives, having them go back into her blood.

_"Weeeeell?! That's another wrap, folks! Our deadly Hawk wins again! This time with a blood lusted end! Let's meet the loser next in the Punishment Game!" _

As Ayane stepped over the body of the Owl, she froze when she felt a hand grab her foot. Turning around slightly, she met with wide eyes, the Owl's smirk as he suddenly summoned a huge blood bomb that split into three.

_"What's THIS? A comeback from our Owl!? This is insane! Looks like the Hawk isn't finished yet!" _

"The match is over when the other is incapacitated or dead right? Well...I'm not dead yet!" the Owl stated as he sent the bombs over to her. There was still a bright light in his eyes.

"Damn," Ayane muttered as she tore out of his grip, trying to dash away from the fast approaching bombs. It turns out she might not win after all. She could feel cold sweat appear on her brow.

Feeling them approach at an even greater speed, she jumped and launched herself into the air, only to see them come after her. As she fell towards them, she tried to summon more blood but none came. She felt her body grow cold as she fell, pulling herself into a ball as she collided into them.

* * *

Senji widened his eyes in surprise when he witnessed the Hawk plunge straight into the mass of bombs. Everything in the room seemed to slow for a moment as all eyes locked on to the several screens positioned around the room. Everyone's breath was held in, the atmosphere tense. Then it all resumed at an even faster speed as they all witnessed the huge explosion and the loud thump of a body hitting the floor.

_"Is the Hawk down? Is she down?! Ladies and gentlemen, has our Hawk finally been defeated?!" _

All the inmates in the room seemed to have shot up from their chairs, yelling obscenities at the announcer and the program. The crowd was going wild as well. They didn't like what was happening. It seemed as though the thought of a powerful Branch of Sin user dying had never crossed their minds.

_"Wait, wait!"_

One of the cameras on stage panned over to the body that was covered in rising smoke. There was a huge splatter of blood on the floor and none of the challengers seemed to be moving. When someone moved.

"Goddamn...you're good." She whispered, a small chuckle soon following after. The body under the smoke twitched as they slowly brought themselves up to their feet, blood dripping from all open wounds.

The crowd then erupted with cheer, as did the announcer.

"But not good enough," the Hawk finished with a bloody smirk as she looked across the arena to her almost unconscious opponent. He had seen all of it.

Senji gaped at his potential friend's body. Half of her left arm was missing and a chunk of skin seemed to be missing from her right shoulder. But, the Crow noticed, on her left arm, came sparks and not fresh blood. _She was..._

_"This is amazing! Another victory for the Hawk!" _

Before the match concluded and the medics took the Owl away, the Hawk approached the injured man, her feet creating blood tracks on the ground. The camera showed her giving the Owl a small smile, her good hand outstretched, fist clenched. Her opponent blinked in confusion before understanding, flashing her a smile before bumping her fist as well.

"That was a good match, Hawk." the Owl commented as she nodded in agreement. "I'm amazed, honestly."

The Hawk let out a small laugh before suddenly taking a seat in front of him, surprising the audience. An extremely fatigued look appeared on her face as her head suddenly went limp and she fell to the side. Without a second of hesitation, the Owl softened the fall with his arm, the medics crowding around her.

_"Well folks, looks like that's the OFFICIAL end of the match! Once we get our Hawk well and rested, we'll begin the punishment! So make sure to stay tuned!" _

"Wow...can you believe that? The Hawk's got a prosthetic arm!"

"How's that even possible? How can she still hold blood in it?"

The Crow let out a small sigh as he stood up from his table, ignoring the comments that were fluttering about around him. Looks like she made it out alright. So she might be a _little _bit insane. Maybe he could deal with that. He could handle that if he wanted her as a friend. Making his way out of the cafeteria, he stretched his arms above his head, not bothering to the notice the collar around his neck anymore.

The pain where his right eye used to be is beginning to ebb away, with the help of some painkillers. It would always become a reminder of how he met the Hawk.

Taking out a pack of cigarettes, Senji popped one out and lit it up, taking a drag. Letting it out slowly, he quietly took a stroll through the halls contemplating whether or not to visit his new companion. It would be rude not to...but she's resting. Hm.

Breathing in another, he let out a groan of confusion as he disappeared into the shadows of the hallway.

* * *

The moment Ayane opened her eyes she let out a huge sigh, events that happened during the fight surfacing into her mind. She had almost died. Again. Pushing herself up to sit, she glanced at what was left of her prosthetic arm and suddenly looked past it. Tilting her head up she widened her eyes when she processed that the Crow was sitting in a chair next to the bed, his head leaned against the wall as he slept.

"Damn...it's been a while since someone did that..." Ayane muttered to herself as she pushed aside the pain that was running everywhere in her body. Looking around the little room, she spotted a red apple on top of the stand and grabbed it, taking a bite into it.

She closed her eyes and recapped the event of the huge explosion.

She had balled herself up and plunged straight into the three bombs, shielding as much of herself as possible. When the bombs went off, Ayane had used as much energy and as much of her blood as possible to block most of the impact. That ended up leaving her left arm and leg vulnerable to disappearing. Which happened to her arm in the end.

Tamaki was going to flip when he walked in here. He was gonna make sure she hurt when another prosthetic arm would be attached to her arm.

Halfway into her apple and relishing in the silence, the Crow began to wake up. She turned her head and watched as his head twitched slightly before sliding off. She had to hold in her chuckle when Senji almost fell out of his chair, jolting awake. As he rubbed his left eye, Ayane loosened the crooks in her neck and took another bite of her apple.

"Crow, again huh?" She greeted as the man said stiffened at her voice, straightening up to see that she was awake.

"Oh, you're up. That's good, I guess. Hey, pretty badass fight this time!" Senji exclaimed as he nodded his head in approval. Ayane rolled her eyes as she tossed the finished apple in the trash.

"Thanks, I try. Didn't expect to see you here, though." She added as she laid back down and put her one arm behind her head. "What are you doing here, anyway?" Ayane shifted her eyes over to see his looking up and away from her.

"Hey hey," she started as a smirk appeared on her lips. "Don't tell me you came here to see how I was doing? Checking up on me?"

Senji crossed his arms as a light pink appeared on his cheeks, still not meeting her gaze. "Of course not. Why would I-"

"Oh? The man's a little softy at heart after all?" Ayane teased as he spluttered, now meeting her gaze with an annoyed look.

"I am _not _soft." he growled as Ayane let out a little laugh, coughing a bit from the stabbing pain.

"Hah, I mean I'm sure its not your personality that's soft." she retorted as she took a chance to catch her breath.

"Hey," Senji started after a moment, his tone suddenly serious.

"What?"

"Your arm. I'm surprised." He stated, making Ayane turn towards him. _  
_

"...Everyone is. It's not something I tell to others." She replied in a cautious tone, a dull anger deep within her slowly rising. The Mockingbird's face was beginning to show up. She needed to calm down before she snapped.

"So is there a way for you to hold on to your blood with a prosthetic arm like that?" Senji inquired, a curious eye on her.

"Its a special kind of prosthetic. That's all there is to it." Ayane said, trying to keep it short. She wanted this conversation to end.

"Did something-" Thankfully, the Crow's words were cut off as the door to the room suddenly slammed open. And Ayane's stomach dropped when Tamaki waltzed in with his sadistic nurse pushing a cart and a large box inside.

"Hello~! Nice to see you again! What a splendid win, Hawk! These visits to you are getting more frequent aren't they?" Tamaki greeted as he walked near the bed, noticing the fiery stare at the two Branch of Sin users were giving him. "Oh, don't get like that! You should all be thankful you're alive. You get to witness and participate in these _fantastic _games!"

Ayane watched as the nurse ripped open the box of the prosthetic arm and pull it out of the tank it was in. The nurse unlocked the latch and slipped on a pair of gloves, carefully lifting the arm out of the tank. This was going to be painful. The part that was supposed to connect into her arm had sharp teeth and a single silver rod in the middle. And that nurse was supposed to just insert it into my dismembered limb.

"Now, my Hawk. Or should I say Ayane?" She immediately glanced over at Tamaki, her eyes wide. Great, now Senji knew her name too. "Why don't you take off your bandages so we can begin? You've certainly caused me a lot of trouble these past few days. Maybe it's time for your punishment."

As Ayane slowly unwrapped the bandages from her left arm, she met Senji's alarmed gaze and shook her head. His eye grew wide in surprise. She knew what he was thinking immediately.

"This is how it is, Crow. The rules are rules."

"Would you like to leave, Senji?" Tamaki asked, the glare in his glasses blocking his eyes. Ayane blinked when the man in question closed his eyes and crossed his arms in front of his chest, sitting more into the chair.

"No, I'll stay."

_He was going to stay?! Is he insane?! Does he even know what he's about to witness?!_

"Alrighty then! If you would, please." Tamaki gestured towards the sadistic nurse. Ayane took a deep breath as she moved herself closer to the woman holding the arm and jolted when a hand gripped her shoulder firmly just as the whole arm was stabbed into her left arm.

Letting out a strangled cry, Ayane swatted the nurse's hands away and she adjusted the arm on her own. As she twisted it deeper into her skin, splotches of blood stained the sheets while she bit her lip in pain. This is how it was for her. And always will be.

* * *

**Alrighty. Well? What did you think? Was it pretty epic? Thanks to nikess96 for reviewing! I hope you enjoyed! You motivated me to write tonight!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Round 3 lets go. Thanks a mucho guys for taking a chance and to read this! Really glad you all did!**

* * *

**Chapter 3-Motives to Frame...**

"Damn...just _how _did you do that?" Senji muttered in amazement as he sat across from Ayane inside his large room. They were both sitting on the black couches, facing each other. He now knew the name of the Hawk, thanks to Tamaki. It was Ayane. It had a nice ring to it.

The said Hawk was now stretching her newly attached arm, raising it above her head as she shut her eyes to the feel. When Senji watched the woman stick that _thing _in her arm, he literally gaped. How she was even able to put that contraption inside her, astonished him. She apparently was insane. And she kept saying that "this was how it is" and all that crap. What was that supposed to mean? That she was trapped here and could only follow the rules?

"I just did. Now, no more questions, Senji." Ayane retorted as she cracked the kinks in her neck.

"You...you called me by my name." Senji pointed out, blinking confusedly towards the woman. The short brown haired woman grinned back, placing her hands behind her head.

"Yeah! I did, didn't I? You should do it too." she suggested as she raised an eyebrow.

"W-why would I do such a thing?" He stuttered out, knowing perfectly well what she meant. As if sensing it, Ayane grinned even wider as she suddenly leaned forward and placed her hands on the small coffee table in front of her.

"Because! Due to you constantly being around me, I've gotten the feeling that we're friends. Or that you _want _to be friends." Ayane revealed as she crossed her arms. Senji tried not to show the slight embarrassment on his cheeks, but the pink tinge appeared anyway. Dammit, she knew.

Remaining silent, the Crow watched the Hawk for a moment as she stared at him with a skeptical expression.

"I mean unless you don't want me around. I could just-" She made a move to get off the couch when Senji put an arm out, stopping her.

"No! You're right." He bluntly stated as she settled back into her side of the couch, a surprised look in her eyes. "Ever since I met you, I've always thought that you would be cool to hang around with. Even back when we fought, you seemed pretty chill. Despite having blood red knives in your hands." Senji explained as he watched the surprised expression on her face turn into a pleased one.

"...that was actually...really sweet." she quietly said, a soft smile on her lips as she met Crow's gaze. "Thanks, Senji." It was his turn for a smile to appear on his lips, that pink tinge appearing once more.

"No...problem, Ayane." Hey, he thought he would give it a shot. And he went for it. When her name slipped from his lips, he realized that her name really _did _have a nice ring to it.

"...Hey, I have an idea." Ayane proposed as she grabbed a ball that was on the coffee table and threw it up, catching it in her hand. Senji raised his tattooed brow and put up a hand for the ball.

"Shoot," he replied as the Hawk threw the ball to him.

"Let's make a pact. Since we're friends right?"

Senji met her gaze in curiosity as he caught the ball, a pondering look on his face. "Well what are you asking?"

"Let's try not to get killed. Otherwise being here in Wonderland won't be as enjoyable. I mean, that _is _the whole point of being kept here. It's just, this time, you've got a person to look forward to seeing." She revealed as she caught Senji's cheeks turn pink.

"Do you have a habit of blushing whenever a girl compliments or says something about you? Because if you do, this is gonna be a rough time for you, buddy." As she said this, she leaned forward to get a closer look of his face, a sly smirk on her lips. She stood up from the couch and wandered over to him only to see the Crow's face turn a darker shade of red as she neared, ultimately making him jump off the couch.

"I-impossible." He grunted as he cleared his throat.

Ayane let out a hearty laugh at his behavior, falling into the couch he was sitting on as she held her stomach. This made Senji gazed down at her for a moment, allowing him to see a normal, bright young woman. A soft smile appeared on his lips as he realized this, but when she opened her eyes, the smile sliding off instantly. It wouldn't do him good if he was caught smiling like that.

"Yeah, let's do it." Senji said, extending a fist. Ayane let out a small whoop before bumping fists, sitting up.

"Just try not to die, my new friend."

* * *

That was it. She officially liked being in the company of the guy. It was as if he was a giant bear: vicious and terrifying on the outside but sometimes warm and cute on the inside. That was her opinion of him. Walking through the halls next to the guy wasn't so half bad either. Since any Branch of Sin users weren't _really _allowed outside of their separate compound G, the two of them sort of roamed around trying to see what they could do to pass the time.

Half the time, both of them were called for individual challenges, hardly giving them much time to hang out before heading to another one.

When Senji was away at one of the challenges, Ayane hung around the G block humming to herself with her hands behind her head. Dressed in a baggy sweatshirt and pants, today was considered a lazy day for her, considering she didn't have any challenges or games assigned to her just yet.

Sighing, she wandered near one of the huge windows and leaned against the glass, pressing her forehead against it. "Ahh, what to do...I'm so bored." she quietly said as she gazed at the view of the huge park. The big ferris wheel seemed to be in operation and the roller coasters seemed like such a blast. Ayane placed her hands against the glass and let out a groan of boredom, sliding down to sit against the window.

Suddenly doing this however, a wave of nostalgia came over her, making her freeze in her spot. Her eyes focused on to the floor as they grew wide, memories from the past spreading out in front of her. _Why now?!_

_"Welcome to you're new home." Tamaki cheerfully said behind her. Ayane was glaring out the window with scowl on her face. The new silver collar was around her neck and she was clothed in the usual grey uniform. _

_"Get me out of here." She snapped back as she crossed her arms in front of her chest, her emerald eyes burning. _

_"No can do, my little bird~ This is a prison for murderers such as yourself. You've gotta stay." _

_Ayane whirled around with a wide look in her eyes. "I'm not staying here! This place is equivalent to Hell. No way am I going to live here." A deadly look appeared in her eyes as she clenched her fist, taking a step closer to the man. He didn't look intimidated in the least. With a snap of his fingers, she was suddenly slammed against the glass with a jagged looking sword. _

_"The hell?!" She growled as she glared down at the wielder. "What? A...girl?" The snarl on her lips slid off at the sight of the small, cute girl with ribbons in her hair. _

_"The lady is being a bad girl, isn't she?" The girl said, tilting her head to the side. Ayane didn't know what hit her till she was on the ground, a slash on her cheek. _

_"Ms. Ayane, your code name is now Hawk. And if you want to continue living at all..." Tamaki started with a small smile. He bent down to her height, placing a hand against her head to keep her to the floor. "...you'll do everything you can not to get chopped to pieces." _

"Damn, it's been that long already?" Ayane muttered under her breath as she ran a hand over her eyes. She wanted to leave this place so much, but she knew that if she took one step outside this facility, the people out there would be afraid of her. More afraid of her than people were in here. She didn't want that.

_"Attention, all Branch of Sin users! If you would all report to the dining hall for an announcement that would be great, thanks!" _

At the sound of that owl announcer's voice, Ayane blinked at the announcement and stood up, stretching her arms. "Wonder what this could be about..." she trailed off as she pulled out a piece of candy from her pocket, heading towards the dining hall. Upon wandering inside, she saw all of the other faces she had fought against at one point and inwardly grimaced, not wanting to talk with them. Instead she headed for the back of the crowd, hoping to stand on a table to see what was happening. She tried to move discreetly and not make any scenes but the people around her were already moving for her, creating a path.

Great. She just wanted to shuffle past them.

Ignoring the pissed off murmurs and comments, Ayane continued on her journey to the back, only to feel someone yank her sweatshirt and pull her in their direction. "The hell?!" She exclaimed as she was suddenly thrown into the front of the crowd. She stumbled and fell into one of the tables, creating a low rumble of laughter.

Cheeks growing warm, Ayane whirled around with a snarl on her lips, ready to deface anyone that laughed when a hand shoved itself in front of her face. Glancing to the side, she saw a red haired Undertaker and visibly stiffened, not wanting to have anything to do with them. The man with a guitar smirked as he observed the crowd in front of him, cracking his fingers together.

"What do you want, Undertaker?" Ayane said in a low voice, pulling up her hood and shoving her hands into her pockets.

"Mmm, we've got an issue on our hands, Hawk." he replied in a somewhat gleeful voice. The way he said it irked her and made her suspicious of what he meant.

"What kind of...issue?"

Before he could respond, Ayane turned her head to see Senji making his way to the front of the crowd, an uproar rising around him. What Ayane saw made her raise an eyebrow. The guy looked completely beat up and mangled, his arms and chest covered with bandages. Was one of the challenges really that bad?

"Why don't we say that it's a cheating issue?" the red haired man continued as the Crow reached the front, an exhausted look in his eye. As the Undertaker finished speaking, he continued to observe the others that were filing in.

Ayane met Senji's gaze and raised an eyebrow, gesturing with her head all the injuries he had. The Crow pulled on a small frown as he gave her a small shrug. The Hawk then proceeded with a narrowed eyed gaze, skeptical of his response. What did he mean by what he just did?

"Now! That you're all here, I'd like to begin!" The clamor that was present in the dining hall soon settled down into silence as the Undertaker began speaking. "According to a source that I will not name, there has been a certain breach of contract here with the challenges at Deadman Wonderland."

"No one would want to breach anything here!" Someone randomly called out.

"Oh is that so? Then why did _she-" _Ayane jolted when a finger was pointed in her direction, all eyes on her. "-do it?"

There was a moment of silence as the sentence sunk in. Then the explosion came.

"_WHAT!?" __  
_

_"No way!"_

_"Why would she do that?!" _

_"Is she looking for a way to die!?"_

Ayane was frozen stiff in shock as Senji tried to get her attention, a curious look in his eye. What the hell was this man talking about?! She didn't breach anything! It must be some sort of misunderstanding! She wasn't even in any of the games in the past hour! Turning to the Undertaker himself, she set her jaw and met his steel gaze against the growing clamor.

"What kind of bullcrap are you spouting? I never breached anything." Ayane declared, setting her gaze on the Undertaker's.

"Really? Well, according to my source," The Undertaker suddenly pointed to Senji, who also jumped in surprise. "This man's challenge was rigged and set up for him to lose. By you. Which I found a bit hard to believe at first...but my source tells me otherwise."

Senji now stood next to Ayane with a peeved look on his face. "Yeah? And who the hell is this source you're talking about?"

Ayane suddenly felt her stomach drop as a pair of feet dropped down on to the table. She already had a bad feeling...

"Me, of course!" The Mockingbird cheerfully said, pointing towards himself with a grin. He jumped off the table and smiled at the crowd, looking at all their surprised gazes. Ayane clenched her fists together as Senji was about to start for him when the red haired Undertaker appeared next to him and shoved him away from Ayane.

"And why did you invite all of us here today, Toto?" Ayane mockingly said nicely, a sweet smile on her face. The green haired Branch of Sin raised an eyebrow, his eyes glinting with mischief.

"To show what happens to people who breach the rules."

_"Aya-!" _

Senji's yell was cut off when Ayane was thrown forward at the sound of the Undertaker's guitar. She fell straight into the Mockingbird who already had a weapon drawn. Blood splattered on to the floor as all clamors came to a halt.

* * *

"Bastards!" Senji yelled as he tried to move past the Undertaker. He had heard something pierce through flesh but couldn't see what. He had also seen the blood, but didn't know whose it belonged to.

Who the hell would frame someone who didn't do what they were accusing them of? Oh yeah, _this _bastard. His blood was boiling but he didn't have as much energy to fight back since he just came from a challenge, but he would be willing to rip off that Mockingbird's face if he had the chance. He blinked when the Undertaker in front of him suddenly shifted to the side to give him the view. And when he saw, Senji's eye widened in shock.

The guy's _hand _was literally through Ayane's side. And he was _grinning. _

"O-Oi...isn't that a little too much?" One of the Branch of Sin users muttered, an agreement rumbling around the crowd. From what Senji saw, Ayane was still conscious, for he could see her shoulders moving up and down as she breathed.

"No, this is perfectly fine! This should show you all not to make the higher ups angry, _right?" _The Mockingbird leaned in close to the Hawk's face, his green eyes suddenly meeting Senji's.

"You're...so screwed." Ayane gritted out as she grabbed him by the neck and slammed him on to the table, his hand pulling out of the wound. A wave of blood spilled on to the floor but she didn't care, her fingers digging deep into the man's throat, her eyes wide with anger. "Is this what you meant! Huh?! I guess I'll have to try and kill you too, shouldn't I?!" She screamed as she used her blood to create a blade. She raised it above her head, ready to stab down when a hand caught her wrist.

"That's enough," Senji muttered behind her head as he pulled her back, aware of what he seemed like to the others. Ayane didn't fight back however, her chest heaving as she yanked her hand out of his grip, her blood hitting the floor.

"You did this, Mockingbird. _Didn't you?!" _Ayane snarled as the man in question straightened himself and brushed off the wrinkles on his shirt.

"Me? Why would I?" he feigned in innocence, tilting his head to the side.

The red haired Undertaker suddenly cleared his throat, catching the attention of everyone in the room. "Well, since rules are rules, the punishment for breaching the contract is going against an Undertaker and deciding if you want to die or not."

"W-what?" Was practically everyone's response in the room.

Senji set his jaw, completely pissed about this entire ordeal. Ayane would have to go against an _Undertaker? _His gaze locked on to the Mockingbird's green head and noticed that there was a sly smirk on his lips. _Oh this bastard._

He was looking for a way to die, wasn't he?

"The match between Ayane and one of the Undertakers will be in a few days. That is all."

* * *

**Hmm...a little bit of action I guess. I was working on some character development though XD Hope you all enjoyed! See you in the next update!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Here we go! On to the next chapter! Hope you're all enjoying!**

* * *

**Chapter 4-Are You Leaving?...**

"So, mind telling me how you ended up like this after your challenge?" Ayane inquired as she slowly lowered herself onto Senji's couch, careful of her healing wound. Her friend sat across from her on the other couch with a concerned look in his eye. Well, he did stop her from stabbing the Mockingbird all the way through.

"Why don't you tell me your relationship with that sick bastard?" Senji retorted, using a bitter tone.

The brunette lifted her head slightly and glanced over at the Crow to see a skeptical glint in his eye. _He's actually serious...come to think of it, I've never seen him mad before..._Ayane thought for a split second about not telling him, but after realizing the pact they made a few days ago, she decided to comply. So, she leaned her head back into the couch and let out a small sigh.

"Sure, I'll tell you." A surprised noise came from the Crow. Seemed he didn't expect her to agree so quickly.

"Y-you don't need to if it'll-"

"I'm telling you and _only _you. Got it?" Ayane interrupted, her tone sharp as she met her piercing gaze with his. There was an astonished expression on Senji's face. "I'll tell you my story as long as you tell me yours, okay?" Seeing the Crow's nod, Ayane shut her eyes and pressed her lips together tightly.

"...The Mockingbird and I...we fought as opponents in a Carnival Corpse a long time ago. Before we crossed blades, I never really knew of him and he never knew of me. But after that battle...we wouldn't be able to forget each other's faces. That round...I lost, not because I was weak or because he had enough strength to beat me, but because the entire round was _rigged._ The damn bastard already knew he was going to win, even if it didn't seem like it. And because I wasn't as strong as I am today, Toto made _sure _to pound it in my head that he was stronger than me. So..." The Hawk trailed off as her free arm went to her prosthetic one, catching Senji's attention.

"...So?" Senji gently prompted, leaning forward slightly.

"So the Mockingbird beat me and in the penalty game, I lost both my left arm and leg. That too was his plan." Ayane bluntly said.

"The moment we stepped on that stage, he knew he would win." she finished as she let out a long soft sigh, a wistful expression on her face.

Senji was quiet for a moment, his head tilted down, face unreadable. Ayane refocused her attention on to him and noticed his fists clenched together, the knuckles almost white. The brunette woman raised an eyebrow as the Crow lifted his head after the silence.

"That's..."

"What?"

"I can't..."

"Seem to fathom how completely screwed up and downright dirty that is?"

Senji blinked at her immediately response, surprised. She had voiced his thoughts exactly. Ayane was smirking at him, seeming to have already read his thoughts. He remained quiet again, a bit numb by his companion's story till she spoke again.

"So what, did your opponent chain you to the floor and just give you a beating?" There was a slight look of concern in Ayane's eyes as she eyed the bandages wrapped in various places along the Crow's body.

"Tch, no."

"Come on, spit it out. I told you mine. Now, your turn."

"I...fine. I stepped on to the stage, fought like I usually did, and then somehow ended up on the floor." Senji explained, keeping it short and sweet. Ayane, discontented with his answer, straightened herself on the couch and furrowed her brow.

"Oi, don't clip it short. Give me details."

"Those were the details."

"...seriously?" Ayane drawled out, rolling her eyes. She couldn't believe this guy.

Keeping it short just to have his pride in check. Unbelievable.

Letting Senji chuckle fill the silence, Ayane shut her eyes as a wave of pain suddenly overcame her. Damn hole in her stomach. And she had a match with a damn Undertaker in a few days too!

"How's the wound holding up?"

Wait. Hold on. His voice was so close. Wasn't he just—

Ayane opened her eyes to see him kneeling in front of her, his gaze on her torso where the bandages were. Out of reflex and pure shock, she lashed a foot out to his face, only to feel a spike of pain and a big hand catch her foot just in time. Letting out a howl of pain, Ayane clutched her stomach as she heard Senji suddenly stand up, surprised.

"Uh—hold on! I'll get something!" he exclaimed, already heading for the door.

"Some painkillers would be nice!" Ayane hollered over her shoulder before she let out another groan of pain.

"Got it!" came Senji's response as he exited his room, the door closing shut behind him.

"I can't believe this...damn Mockingbird. You probably did this so I would lose, huh? Well screw that. I'm gonna win, dammit."

* * *

The two of them were standing in the training room in front of a rack weapons.

"So you've got a match against an Undertaker in 3 days."

"Yeah, and? Gonna tell me something inspirational? Maybe something like: 'oh you'll be fine. It's just an Undertaker!'" Ayane mimicked his voice as low as she could, matching her expression with his.

Senji slapped the back of Ayane's head and received a slap in return to the stomach. "I don't talk like that."

"Like what, a prissy little teenager? Because that's what it sounds like to me." Ayane teased as she walked away from the rack with a pair of knives in her hands.

"_Anyway. _You've got a _match _in 3 days." Senji continued, taking a practice sword. He stood in front of her as he practiced wielding it, cracking his neck.

"I _know _that. Try not to rub it in, okay? I'm either gonna die in three days or come out barely alive."

"_No. _What we're gonna do is make sure you come out on top." _  
_

"Oh? And how are you gonna do that?" Ayane inquired with a raised brow, a mischievous glare in her eyes.

Senji suddenly appeared in front of her with a deadly smirk on his lips. He noticed the surprised look in her eyes. "Like this." he stated as he made a move to slash at her. Ayane ducked under the swing and leaped out of the way from an incoming kick, whirling around just as his blade crashed into her knives.

"G-Go a little easy, would ya?" Ayane growled out as a patch of red was appearing from her wound. Senji noticed already, but put it to the side, only pushing harder. "I guess not." she clipped out as she attacked, moving quick on her feet as she maneuvered behind him to make a move.

"The Undertaker will give no mercy to you if you act like this."

"Shut up, I know!" She exclaimed in return as she swerved away from another swipe, barely missing it. Senji was quick to react and extended his foot out, successfully making her stumble. "Dammit Senji!" Ayane growled as she twisted around with a vaguely pissed off look in her eyes.

He grinned at her reaction, recognizing the warmth that spread throughout his body whenever he was around her. He was also aware that she could disappear in three days. Hence the last minute sparring session. It didn't make him feel great in the slightest.

There was a tugging at his gut. A painful one. One that he didn't like one bit.

He was hoping that having this last session would provide him with assurance that Ayane would do what she could to win during the match. But the tugging didn't end. And it still lingered as the two of them finally decided to call it quits and take a break.

Ayane let out a pained sigh as she sat down on one of the benches, pulling out a piece of purple candy and plucking it into her mouth. Senji took note of the blood still on her shirt and wondered how she was holding up. And whether she was putting up a front to the pain or not.

Taking a seat next to her, he handed her a water bottle and opened his own, taking a long swig.

"Thanks,"

They sat there in a comfortable silence.

"...Listen, Senji."

He blinked as he heard Ayane begin speaking and glanced over to her to see her hands clenching the water bottle tightly. There was a slight shake to her hands.

"I know this isn't something to discuss but..."

"...What do you mean it isn't something to discuss?"

"Huh?" It was her turn to look over at him with wide eyes.

"You might die in three days, Ayane. How can that _not _be something to talk about?" Senji said in a serious tone, fully turning his head to look at her. Her face was pale and there was a nervous look in her eyes that was never there.

"Let's skip the 'might' shall we?" she whispered, an empty laugh escaping her lips. "That Undertaker, whoever it is, is gonna rip me to pieces. All because of that Mockingbird."

"You can't—"

"Of course, I'm not gonna go down without a fight." Senji let his words die out in his throat as he heard her words, seeing the resolved look in her expression.

"...I'll do something." He didn't know what compelled him to suddenly say that but whatever it was, he was grateful. He didn't just want to watch her disappear right before him. He had to at least try to change up the game.

"What do you mean?" Ayane quietly uttered, her brow raised in confusion. Senji took a breath before meeting her gaze wholly, as if searching for something. She probably was the best thing that had ever happened in this hellhole.

He put a hand on her shoulder and let out a chuckle, trying to comfort his own nerves.

"Just leave it to me. You do the fighting, got it?"

* * *

Two days left. That was all the time she had left before she either died or kept on barely living.

Ayane figured she would spend it trying to hunt down the Mockingbird for the last time and tearing him to shreds. However, she scoured the entire G Block twice and couldn't find a single hair of the bastard. She promised to herself that if she died, she would come back to this place and haunt the hell out of the man.

Maybe Senji too. That would be fun.

She ended up walking around the halls instead, trying to look for her buddy. Her stomach was healing little by little, but it would only be opened again soon. Turning a corner, she paused in her steps when she caught Senji come out of a room stuffing something into his pockets. He had a guarded look in his eye.

What was he doing?

Ayane thought of leaving him alone and walking away, but something made her think again.

_"...I'll do something." _

That's what Senji said yesterday, but she couldn't understand what he meant by that. Was he going to do something to the Undertaker? Biting her lip for a moment, Ayane watched the Crow's back continue to walk away from her before she decided to walk after him.

"Hey Crow," she called out, stopping a few feet behind him. She saw his back stiffen as he heard his name and pursed her lips as he turned around slowly. There was an embarrassed look on his face.

How cute.

"Ah, Hawk." he simply replied in return. It was kind of in an awkward tone. His hands were out of his pockets.

"Watcha got there?" Ayane carefully inquired, approaching him slowly. Senji instantly appeared cautious and took a step back.

"Nothing that you need to worry about. Really."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"...Come on, Senji. I saw you just come out of that room over there."

"Did you?"

"Yeah, and you—" she stopped and closed the distance, leaning up towards his ear. "—took something, didn't you?"

There was silence for a few moments before his big hand grabbed hold of her wrist suddenly.

"Wha—"

"Just come on." he grumbled as he pulled her along to his room once again, the door hissing shut behind them. Heading to the usual spot by the couches, he flopped down into one of them and dragged down Ayane next to him. When he let go of her wrist, she inwardly felt a twinge of sadness as the warmth faded away.

"Alright you caught me. Here." Senji reached into his pocket and pulled out a couple of syringes. It seemed a bit familiar. Her mind went back to when she got plugged with stuff before her match against the Owl.

"You're gonna put this into one of the Undertakers?" She asked as she turned her head to him, noticing him look away.

"That...was the plan."

"How are you gonna manage that?"

"I'll come up with something before your match." His reply was hesitant, as if he was unsure himself.

"They can hurt you too, you know."

"Yeah, I know Ayane! But not as much as you will be!" He suddenly burst out, surprising her. There was an astonished look in his eye. The way he said it...it was as if there was something else under those words. It made her think about them for a second.

"Look, I don't wanna do it as much as the next person but I can't just run away, can I? This place is tight with security."

"Even that is fine."

"What?"

"I just..." Senji trailed off, making Ayane glance towards him in concern. The way he was acting...she was slowly beginning to see.

"You disappearing right when I found you...that's just not fair at all. Weren't you gonna bust the Mockingjay's head in? What about those red bean buns of yours? They'll be gone too."

His voice...it was like it was slowly chipping and breaking. Ayane knew what this was about.

"Senji, I'm not gonna go down so quick. With your help, whatever you do, I'm sure I've got a big fighting chance."

He was quiet. So she decided to say one more thing.

"I'm _not _going to go away."

He looked up at her then, the most trusting look in his eye. They stared at each other for a few moments before Ayane cracked a smile and lunged for his torso, wrapping her arms around him. She chuckled when he let out an astonished sound.

"You're such a softy," she whispered as she relished the warmth around her. She felt his arm come around her and pull her closer, which made her grin even wider.

"No way am I leaving you here, dumbo."

* * *

**eh. this is more of pairing moments. real fight begins next chapter! sorry its been so long everyone. I'll probably make a new update after I finish summer assignments. Ugh. Anyway, thanks for reading! **


	5. Chapter 5

**New chapter leggo! How are you my lovelies? I haven't heard from you all in a while! I'm wondering where you all are? Anyways, I hope you're enjoying this short story! **

**I have plans to finish soon however...I did say that this was going to be a short story XD**

**Okay! Let's get going! And...I apologize for the future things you will read today. **

* * *

**Chapter 5-Those Red Bean Buns...**

"No...No! This can't...! Ayane! Ayane, open your eyes!" Senji was bent over the young woman, eyes wide in fear. The fragile woman wasn't moving and her face was extremely pale. There was a pool of blood under her, contrasting against the white cement of the floor that was the floor of the Carnival Corpse.

Her eyes were shut.

And all Senji felt at the moment was that crippling fear crawling up and down his spine. There was a cold piece of ice jammed into his heart at the thought of her being gone and the shakiness in his hands wouldn't disappear no matter how hard he wanted them to stop. His shoulders were shaking too much and the entire crowd observing the event was silent. Though Ayane's opponent was still smirking in amusement.

He had his hands fisted tightly, knuckles white as he tried to comprehend that this actually happened. It wasn't long ago when the two had been casually speaking with each other about how they would see each other again after the battle. How could this have happened instead?

"Ayane..."

* * *

**45 minutes earlier...**

"Okay, so before I'm in you're going to—"

"Yeah, sneak into the other side where the Undertaker's at and plunge this into him." Senji interjected as he lifted up a handful of syringes with the strange substance in it. Ayane let out a little nervous puff of air as they sat in his room, her hands patting against her cheeks.

"What are you doing?" He inquired as he raised a brow at her and her curious antics.

"I'm trying to stay calm!" Ayane exclaimed almost instantly as if she was expecting him to ask that question. She instantly jolted in surprise and collapsed into a ball, her hands covering her face. "I could _die_!"

Also aware of the serious situation, Senji let out the breath he was holding and gently placed his hands on his friend's shoulders. She lifted her emerald eyed gaze to his slowly as he gave her a teasing smirk.

"It'll be fine. You can trust me. You're not gonna die out there."

There was a moment of silence between the two, something that seemed almost precious. Unbreakable. Mutual. Before Ayane cracked a tiny smile and gave him a nod of resolve. "Right. I'll just have to do my best."

"There's the badass Hawk I know," Senji smirked as he ruffled the brunette's head, ignoring her cries of annoyance. The match between the her and the Undertaker would begin soon.

"How's the wound?" He began as he glanced down at her mid section, Ayane's gaze also following his.

"Better! It'll heal soon. Don't worry, dumbo! Like you said, I'll just have to do what I usually do!" Ayane said as her lips spread out into a smile. "I'm definitely coming back so we can have more red bean buns."

"Hah, _just _the red bean buns?"

"Of course! What else? They're my favorite snack here in the hellhole!"

Senji chuckled softly at their teasing and stood up, stretching his arms to the sky. To be honest, he was trying to keep himself under control as well. His pent up emotions wouldn't last long.

"Alright, let's go. I've already tracked down where the Undertaker will be emerging so don't worry about me. You just get to your place, got it?" Senji said as he headed for the door. He would have walked right to it if it weren't for the slim, cold hand that suddenly wrapped around his wrist.

"Wait, Senji..." Ayane's voice was so soft, fragile even. He dared not shatter the moment as he slowly turned around to meet her gaze. However as he did, she was already coming up to meet him, her free hand somehow already gently holding the back of his neck to bring his face closer to hers.

When their lips touched, it wasn't anything huge or spectacular. No fireworks and loud cheers going off. Just silence. But the sensation and feel of it was a whole other deal. For Senji it was as if his senses were exploding, especially where their lips were touching. Her warmth was around him and in him and he didn't want it to end. He almost wrapped his arms around her and pulled her even more into him if that was even possible.

However he couldn't because Ayane was the one to break it off. She pulled back gingerly, her emerald eyes peering up at him. There was a small smile on her lips. "For good luck. For you and for me." she stated as her hands slid off of his shoulders and back to her sides.

"Let's come back here when it's finished." she declared as she raised a fist to him. Senji, after blinking multiple times at what she just did, gave her a wide smirk, as he bumped his fists with hers.

* * *

**5 minutes before the match...**

She was gone. Went the other way to get to her lift. Her warmth, cheerfulness, and energy leaving with her.

Senji pressed himself against the wall and peeked over the wall to see one of the Undertakers, the man with red hair and a guitar, getting ready. There were a few people behind him, guarding the area. They would be easy to pass. But...he didn't think that the little girl with the huge steel sword would be a clear path in the water.

He needed a distraction.

Glancing around the area around them, he spotted sprinklers on the ceiling and gazed around for something he could use to throw. Then he realized: his blood. Using his rings, he made a slit in the palm of his hands and pressed one of them against the back of the other. Aiming for the sprinklers, he pressed his lips together and gave it a go. Going with Invisible Black, the sprinklers immediately split into two, showering the ground with water.

Cries of surprise sounded from the area where the Undertaker was, giving him the only chance Senji had. He pulled out a syringe from his pocket and took a deep breath before launching himself into the enemy's territory. The guards didn't know what was up. But the girl was unsheathing her weapon by the time he was nearing the red headed Undertaker.

"Get out of the way!" Senji yelled as he leaped into the air and clashed blades with the girl, barely escaping from being cut up alive. He needed to move quickly.

"Oh ho, what are you trying to do here?" The red headed Undertaker mused as he watched with enjoyment. Senji forcefully shoved the girl as hard as he could to the side and lunged for the man, disappearing for a moment. He was using all the strength he had to use his speed and strength effectively.

"Trying to stop you." Senji smirked as he gripped the man's shoulder and plunged the syringe into his arm. He managed to empty its contents before he was slammed into the wall by the man himself.

"You think you can—wait, huh? What...What did you do, old man!?" The Undertaker yelled as he gripped the wall beside him, labored breaths coming from him.

"Don't worry about it! Just get up there! It's time!" The girl exclaimed as she pointed to the television screen that was displayed for them. The red haired Undertaker cursed under his breath as he stumbled towards the lift.

"C'mon Ayane," Senji whispered under his breath as he watched the two competitors step on to the stage.

"Win,"

* * *

**The Match...**

"Looks like Senji did it..." Ayane muttered under her breath as she noticed the Undertaker's shaky movements. He was stumbling but barely covering it up and there was a slightly blank look in is eyes. "I guess that good luck really worked, huh?"

_"Alright folks! This is the final Carnival Corpse for our Hawk here! Who's it gonna be, guys? The Hawk? Or the powerful, infamous Undertakers?! Cast in your votes now and let's watch the battle unfold!" _The penguin shouted to the guests in the room, the clamor of the audience reaching its peak.

Ayane narrowed her eyes as she bent her knees and slashed her arms to produce blood. She's got to give it everything she's got. All the techniques up her sleeves, even those she hasn't tried yet she has to reveal here.

The Undertaker on the other hand simply whipped his guitar around and tried to catch his breath.

_"Are our challengers ready? Okay? In 3, 2, 1...FIGHT!" _

With watchful eyes, Ayane leaped into the air just as the Undertaker strummed his guitar and flew over the invisible waves. Landing on the ground, she whipped to the side as another round came towards her. Realizing she had to do something to get closer, she steeled herself and launched herself at the Undertaker. Dodging the currents of invisible air around her, she escaped with deep cuts as she came close to the man.

Flicking her arms out, droplets of blood spread out before her, surrounding the Undertaker. "Bloody Spears."

Extending her fingers, she clasped them together just as the droplets became needles and shot for the Undertaker. Before she could see her handiwork, she was violently tossed to the side from a gust of wind. Tumbling on to the floor, Ayane ignored the added slashes and cuts to her body and glanced at the Undertaker who also had a few scratches. Stretching out her hand again, she made a fist and materialized her blood sword, glaring angrily at her opponent before her.

"I'll beat you. And then I'll take down that Mockingbird as well!" Ayane declared with snarl as the entire room went 'ooh!'

"Is that so? Then you'll have to beat me till I'm unconscious then. Though I doubt that you can do even that." the man retorted, a bored look in his eyes. Ayane gritted her teeth at his words and took a breath before taking a leap and disappearing right in front of him.

She could hear the crowd's roar in her ears as she appeared behind him and slashed upwards. Grinning at the feel of her blade tearing through flesh, Ayane jumped back just as the Undertaker whirled around, his guitar swinging.

"Hmm, it's time for me to play a riff, I suppose." He mused to himself as he readied his fingers. Ayane tensed as he ran his hand down the strings, an supersonic, invisible air blasting towards her.

_It's faster than Senji's Invisible Black?! _

Ayane was thrown into air at the blast and landed on the ground, bouncing, when a foot came out of nowhere and kicked her to the side. Feeling a few ribs break, Ayane coughed up a round of blood at the force and slid against the tile. A streak of her blood smeared against the white tile and suddenly, she had another idea. As the Undertaker approached her she made sure he got in line with the smeared blood and stumbled to her feet.

Taking another deep breath, she lifted her hands and willed the blood on the ground to take shape into long, crystallized spikes. "Crystallization."

The Undertaker let out a low growl as the trap he was placed in and gripped the spikes firmly. "Think this can hold me, kid? Hah, think again!"

While the man was breaking through her trap, Ayane was already in the air, melding her blood together for her Bloody Talons. Flipping through the air, she slammed into the Undertaker just as he shattered the spikes, sending the both of them bouncing on the floor.

Before she could stand, invisible pieces of string suddenly held her down, making her eyes grow wide. _What—?_

"I've got quite a few tricks up my sleeve too, sister." The Undertaker's voice was too close. A pair of feet stopped in front of her head and she felt a ripple of fear rip through her. She glanced up to see the red haired man smirking as he held his guitar, fingers ready. _Shi—_

In a second, a sensation equivalent to being ripped in half coursed through her body. Unable to move, all Ayane could do was scream in pain with her forehead pressed against the cold floor. The man was playing riffs on his guitar and with every single stroke, came another slice of pain that was close to unbearable. It was as if she was being literally ripped apart by the shreds!

Forcing her arms to move, she materialized a blood knife and was about to cut whatever was holding her, when a hand suddenly gripped her by the hair. Yelping in pain, Ayane was lifted off the ground to face the Undertaker's wide smirk.

"How was that? Did that riff give you enough of a taste of my music?" Gritting her teeth, Ayane lashed a foot out and landed it squarely to his chest, allowing him to let go of her head.

Flying through the air, she barely landed on her feet, when her insides suddenly decided to come spilling out. Wide eyed, Ayane held a hand firmly to the reopened hole in her stomach as the blood continued to spill out. _This guy...he—_

Unable to finish the thought, she fell to her knees at the pain, surprised to feel her legs going numb.

"Your friend down there did something to me. When he did, I knew that you would try to give me everything you've got, knowing that you were going up against an Undertaker such as myself. Sadly..." The red haired man trailed off as he stopped a good distance away from her. "...it wore off. That's too bad. Looks like you'll be dying today, thanks to my wonderful artistic work."

Ayane was panting heavily now at the huge loss of blood. Her hands were growing cold and her vision was slowly blurring. This wasn't good. She was actually gonna die! Meeting gazes with the Undertaker, her glare was overpowered by his own as she fell on to her back, unable to keep herself up for much longer. A low, laugh of amusement came from across her as she continued to try and stop the blood from flowing.

To her left she heard something whirring and widened her eyes when she saw that it was Senji. He was covered in so many slashes, some of his skin missing and looking like a mess. When he ran out of the bird cage, his eyes caught sight of her and he instantly ran for her.

The crowd was going insane now, shocked to see yet another one of their birds on the stage.

"Ayane! I'm here. I'm here!" Senji said as he slid next to her, his gaze taking in the situation. By the look on his face, Ayane could tell that she probably wasn't going to make it.

"Senji..."

"Shut up, you'll be fine." He growled as he glared at the Undertaker standing away from them.

_"Uh oh, looks like the Hawk is down for the count! It looks as if she's not going to make it! What an entertaining battle this is!" _The announcer suddenly called out.

"Senji, when I'm gone...I want you to..." Ayane stopped when she saw her friend's terrified gaze directed towards her. Steeling herself, she continued on. "...when I'm gone, you go find that bastard Toto...and you freaking end him, ya hear?"

"You're not going to leave, Ayane." Senji replied, now bent over her, his gaze meeting her own fluttering one.

"I don't...have that much time..." She whispered as she began to lose feeling in her hands and arms as well. The entire room was slowly beginning to grow silent. Ayane could slowly feel her consciousness slipping away as she saw only Senji. His big hands had grabbed one of hers, providing her with only a little bit of warmth.

"You're not leaving. You _can't _leave."

"S-sorry..." Ayane weakly said with a small smile as she met Senji's gaze for the last time. Using all of the strength she had left, she raised a bloodied fist towards him. Senji's eye widened at her action as he truly began to grasp the situation. He took her fisted hand into his own and held it tight as her eyelids fluttered shut and her head touched the floor. "See ya..."

"No...No! This can't...! Ayane! Ayane, open your eyes!" He quietly whispered towards her, his entire body cold.

After moments of silence, Senji slowly put down the cold hand he was holding and got up on to his feet. There was a shadow over his eyes. The audience was dead silent.

"What a tragic end," the Undertaker said in a mocking tone, shattering the silence that was held. Senji's fists were clenched tightly as he stepped in front of Ayane's still body. His shoulders were shaking and the lip he was biting bled. "Oh my, getting a little emotional are we?"

She was gone.

Forever.

The best thing that had happened to him since he came here.

Something that _couldn't be replaced. _

Lifting his head, Senji's grey eye was glaring hard and cold at the man in front of him. His entire aura was emanating off of him in waves, showing signs of pure grief and rage mixed together. In a second he had slashed his arms, his blood taking form of his half scythe blades. With a frown set firmly on his lips, the man fell into a stance as the Undertaker rose his brow. And with a snarl, Senji stated:

"I'm gonna kill you."

* * *

**So...character death...yeah. If you were wondering, that was the intent. Though I did like her a lot. D: I'd be happy explain to anyone if they're curious. Moving on...I hope that Senji wasn't too OOC and that you thoroughly enjoyed this chapter, despite it being sad. **

**Please leave a review if you can! I'll be finishing this soon, so I don't have much time with the Deadman Wonderland fandom anymore...**

**See you in the next update!**

**-FallenWing21**


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